THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN

2014
DIRECTOR:  ALFONSO GOMEZ-REJON
WRITERS:  ROBERTO AGUIRRE-SACASA (SCREENPLAY) AND EARL E. SMITH (1976 FILM)


STARRING:  ADDISON TIMLIN, JOSHUA LEONARD, GARY COLE, AND SPENCER TREAT CLARK

AS MUCH AS I LOVE HORROR MOVIES, I SOMEWHAT DREAD BEING ASKED WHAT MY FAVORITE IS AND WHICH ONES I RECOMMEND.  FIRSTLY, AS I'VE SAID NUMEROUS TIMES BEFORE, DIFFERENT HORRORS AFFECT PEOPLE IN DIVERSE WAYS.  GHOSTS, CLOWNS, SERIAL KILLERS, ALIENS, AND SPIDERS ALL CAN BE ORDERED IN ENDLESS WAYS ACCORDING TO THEIR FRIGHT ON VIEWERS.  SECONDLY, ALL THE SCARY MOVIES I ENJOY ARE NOT PERFECT IN MY MIND.  AS MANY GREAT COMPLIMENTS I HAVE TO GIVE CERTAIN MOVIES, I HAVE THAT MANY NEGATIVE THOUGHTS ABOUT THEM TOO.  THAT IS UNTIL THE OTHER DAY...

ONCE AGAIN I FOUND MYSELF RELENTLESSLY SEARCHING THROUGH FREE FILMS IN THE HORROR GENRE IN THE HOPES OF FINDING SOMETHING THAT HASN'T ALREADY FORCED MY THUMB TO AGGRESSIVELY JAM THE STOP BUTTON ON MY REMOTE TEN MINUTES INTO THE MOVIE.  AND THERE IT WAS...ABBREVIATED BY WHAT SEEMED LIKE AN ALPHABET BUTCHER, "TOWN/DREADED '14".  

HOLY SHIT!  I FOUND A TERRIFYING MOVIE THAT NOT ONLY OPENED AND CLOSED WITH A BANG, BUT ALSO MADE SENSE WHILE SCARING ITS VIEWERS!  FINALLY SOMEONE ELSE OUT THERE GETS IT!  THIS IS ONE OF THOSE MOVIES WHERE I WANT TO PERSONALLY CONGRATULATE EACH AND EVERY MEMBER ON THE CREW LIST, INCLUDING THOSE GENERALLY OVERLOOKED LIKE THE MUSIC PRODUCER, CASTING DIRECTOR, CINEMATOGRAPHER, AND EDITOR.  

TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN IS A REMAKE ABOUT THE PHANTOM KILLER WHO, SIMILAR TO "THE SON OF SAM",  PREYS ON YOUNG COUPLES FOOLING AROUND IN THE DARK.  I AM UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ORIGINAL, HOWEVER, IT IS REFERRED TO THROUGHOUT THE FILM IN AESTHETIC WAYS INCLUDING A DRIVE IN MOVIE, FLASHBACKS, AND B-ROLL.  

MY FAVORITE PARTS ABOUT THIS MOVIE ARE THE KILL SCENES.  TO ME, THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT KEY FACTORS IN A FILM ATTEMPTING TO CREATE FEAR IN THE VIEWERS' EYES.  EVERY SINGLE DEATH WAS DELIVERED IN AN ORIGINAL, YET SCARRING WAY.  THE FIRST MURDER WAS INTERESTING BECAUSE INSTEAD OF WATCHING THE BLOODY GORE, WE SAW IT THROUGH A SHADOW.  OTHERS FEATURED AN UNEXPECTED BULLET THROUGH THE EYE, A HUMAN SCARECROW, A DECAPITATED HEAD KNOCKING AND SMASHING THROUGH A WINDOW, AND A TROMBONE STABBING.  YES, A KNIFE ON THE END OF A TROMBONE THAT WAS REPEATEDLY JAMMED INTO A VICTIM.  AS EPIC AS THAT WAS, I STILL MUST ADMIT THAT MY FAVORITE MURDER, AND PROBABLY THE MOST SIMPLISTIC TO FILM, WAS WHEN "NICK" WAS WALKING DOWN A PITCH BLACK STREET.  EVERY FEW SECONDS A MOTION CENSORED LIGHT WOULD GO OFF AS HE GOT CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THE CAMERA.  OBVIOUSLY YOU KNEW IT WAS COMING, BUT THE MUSIC AND CLOSE UP OF THE KILLER EXECUTED THE SCARE PERFECTLY.  

THE SOUNDS OF THE FILM WERE BROADCASTED A BIT UNIQUELY.  TYPICALLY HORROR MOVIES USE THE MUSIC TO FORESHADOW A SCARY SCENE BEFORE THE TERROR IS VIEWED.  THIS FILM MANIPULATED THE MUSIC TO MAKE YOU JUMP BY BLASTING IT AS THE ACTION BEGAN, RATHER THAN BUILDING UP TO IT.  EVEN THE "STABBING" SOUNDS LEFT A DENT IN MY MIND, ESPECIALLY DURING THAT INFAMOUS TROMBONE SCENE.  

THE BREATHING THROUGH THE MASK IS ANOTHER SOUND I COULD NOT HELP BUT TO NOTICE.  ALTHOUGH SOME MAY LABEL IT AS ANNOYING, I FEEL ADDITIONAL TERROR AND A FURTHER SENSE OF REALITY AS A RESULT OF IT.  THE PHANTOM MASK IS ALSO GREAT BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE A PRODUCTION ASSISTANT WAS SPONTANEOUSLY ASSIGNED TO CREATE A MASK ON THE SPOT USING ONLY MATERIALS FOUND IN A DUMPSTER.  I DIG THE SIMPLICITY.  

IN THE MOVIE SCREAM, THE GHOST MASK IS SYMBOLIC BECAUSE, AS DEWEY SAID, "...IS SOLD AT BOTH KROGER'S AND WAL MART."  IN OTHER WORDS, ANYBODY COULD BUY ONE, AS ALMOST EVERY HIGH SCHOOLER IN THE FILM DID, AND THAT CREATED THE INTENSE SCARE THAT "EVERYBODY IS A SUSPECT!"  I ALSO BELIEVE THIS THEORY IS TRUE FOR YOU'RE NEXT, HALLOWEEN, AND FRIDAY THE 13TH.  THE LACK OF INTRICATE DETAIL AND CREATIVITY IN A MASK CASTS AN EVEN DARKER SHADOW ON A KILLER'S PRESENCE.  

I ALSO APPRECIATED THE FACT THAT THE MASK HAD EYE CUT OUTS SO YOU COULD SEE THE TRUE PUPILS OF THE PHANTOM KILLER.  THE SOUL OF A PERSON CAN BE SEEN THROUGH THEIR EYES, AND WITH THIS SAID, ABSOLUTE EVIL CAN BECOME APPARENT WITH DIRECT CONTACT.  EVEN THOUGH THIS KILLER HAD BRIGHT BLUE EYES, IT DID NOT INTERFERE WITH THE FACT THAT THERE WERE STILL NUMEROUS SUSPECTS SET UP.  IRONICALLY, OUT OF ALL THE PEOPLE I THOUGHT IT WAS, I WAS STILL WRONG IN THE END.  DEAD WRONG.  

THERE ARE A FEW AESTHETICS THAT CAUGHT MY EYE THROUGHOUT THE FILM.  DURING THE FIRST MURDER SCENE, THE PHANTOM KILLER BREAKS A CAR WINDOW AND HOLDS A GUN TO THE YOUNG COUPLE.  THERE IS AN EPIC LOW ANGLE SHOT.  I LOVE HIGH AND LOW ANGLES BECAUSE IT GIVES AN AUTOMATIC SENSE OF EITHER SUBMISSION, OR IN THIS CASE, POWER.  SHORTLY AFTER THIS, THE KILLER CHASES THE GIRL THROUGH THE WOODS.  THERE WAS ADDED INTENSITY WHEN THE KILLER'S EYES AND THE TREES WERE OVERLAPPING SO YOU COULD SEE BOTH SCENES SIMULTANEOUSLY.  IT WAS ALSO TRIPPY WHEN SCENES OF THE GIRL RUNNING WOULD RANDOMLY APPEAR SIDEWAYS.  

WE SEE THIS OVERLAPPING CREATION LATER ON IN THE FILM WHEN THE SAME GIRL IS RESEARCHING THE PHANTOM MURDERS FROM YEARS BEFORE ON A COMPUTER.  AT TIMES, THE COMPUTER SCREEN WOULD SHINE THROUGH HER EYES, AGAIN DISPLAYING AN OVERLAP OF IMAGES.  

THERE'S JUST SO MUCH HIDDEN BRILLIANCE LURKING IN ALMOST EVERY SCENE.  I EVEN THINK THE RED CAR THE FIRST VICTIM IS DRIVING HOLDS MORE RELEVANCE THAN THE BASIC EYE PICKS UP.  I BELIEVE THE CAR IS A 1970 MODEL OF THE CHEVY CHEVELLE.  THIS WOULD NORMALLY MEAN NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY, EXCEPT, THE ORIGINAL FILM WAS RELEASED IN THE '70s.  I TRULY FEEL THESE FILM CREATORS PUT EXCESS THOUGHT AND ARTISTRY INTO EVERY FILM CELL RECORDED.  

IF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH "AMERICAN HORROR STORY", THEN YOU WILL BE PLEASED TO KNOW THAT THE CREATOR OF "AHS", RYAN MURPHY, PRODUCED THIS MOVIE.  HE'S JUST TOO COOL.  HE MAY ALSO BE THE INFLUENCE BEHIND THE GAY SCENE, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS A GREAT WAY TO MODERNIZE THIS UPDATED VERSION OF THE FILM.  I DIG THE EQUALITY!  

I ABSOLUTELY RECOMMEND THIS MOVIE TO HORROR LOVERS, THAT IS IF YOU ADMIRE GORE LIKE I DO.  KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THE HIDDEN EYEBALL AND SHADOW REFERENCES, AS THEY ARE PRETTY UNIQUE AND FILLED WITH SYMBOLISM.

AMERICAN HORROR STORY

Would you believe me if I told you that bombastic television show Glee originated in the same brains that American Horror Story is derived from?  It’s puzzling to imagine Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk with their legs crossed, sipping coffee, and brainstorming the tortuous scenes that will star their “Asylum” season nemesis,  “Bloody Face”.  All the while, both of these men knowing they previously created a show exploding with high school drama inside a flamboyant and talented circle of singers.  What a lucky “fly on the wall”. 

American Horror Story is the most paramount show on television right now.  Even if you find yourself to be one of few opposed to watching sixty minutes of terror, I’m sure the title still rings a bell of familiarity.  Although it is common to hear people bicker over which of the seasons is the best, I feel that most can agree that each and every one sailed above its expectations.   I can’t stress enough how impressive it is for a show to continue its ability to shock viewers in the following seasons.  Typically, the first is always the sharpest, and then it slowly start to dull and deteriorate as the years pass.  Sometimes it’s to the point where I wish I stopped watching certain shows after the first season. 

The design of AHS and how each season is completely unrelated to each other gives the show much more room to expand and find different paths of scare tactics.  It also helps that the same actors keep coming back as fresh new characters that viewers can fall in love with all over again.  Instead of each season picking up where it left off, like viewers are accustomed to, every first episode feels like the first time.  Although each season has its own unique cluster of gore in the opening sequence, they all share that spine tingling “dun…dun dun” classic tune. 

Most television shows star fresh faces that most aren’t familiar with.  Occasionally an A list actor will make an appearance to boost ratings, but it is unusually amazing how AHS signed Jessica Lange, Frances Conroy, and Dylan McDermott to pave the way to the show’s stardom.  Now four seasons deep, the series has not only added the expertise of Kathy Bates and Angela Bassett into the demented plots, but it also amplified, if not created, the names of Evan Peters and Sarah Paulson, amongst others.  In my opinion, the character development portrayed throughout the series is the key factor responsible for this type of success. 

I must admit, when I first heard of AHS coming out, I had my doubts solely for the reason it was premiering on FX and not a premium channel like HBO or Showtime.  I questioned how a show, let alone a horror series, could possibly succeed with a mature audience without the gore, violence, profanity, and sexuality, which is typically concealed on commercial airing channels.  When I saw Dylan McDermott “pleasuring” himself in the first season, I realized how inaccurate my assumption was. 

American Horror Story is appropriately raw and explicit, and the seasons seem to progressively advance their shock value.  I have only seen one episode of Freak Show so far, and it is already apparent the trend is continuing as presumed. 

ASS KICKER

I TEND TO DESCRIBE MYSELF AS AN OBSERVANT BEING WHO SUBCONSCIOUSLY ENJOYS PEOPLE WATCHING.  SOMETIMES I CREATE BACKSTORIES FOR RANDOM STRANGERS I HAVE NEVER MET BEFORE.  PERHAPS SOME JOGGERS IN THE PARK HIDE TREACHEROUS SECRETS FROM THE CROWD WHILE OTHERS KEEP THEIR GENIUS ACHIEVEMENTS FROM PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE.  THOUGHTS AS SUCH HAVE CROSSED MY MIND, BUT I MORE OFTEN PONDER WHO IS THE BADDEST MOTHER FUCKER IN THIS ROOM.  

WHETHER I'M IN THE GYM, AT THE MALL, OR CRUISING ON THE ROAD, I LOOK AT PEOPLE AND THINK, IF THOSE TWO GUYS BROKE OUT IN A FIGHT RIGHT NOW, WHO WOULD BE THE LAST STANDING.  IT'S INTERESTING TO TAKE PEOPLE'S ATTITUDES MIXED WITH THEIR STYLE AND MENTALITY TO MEASURE THEIR DETERMINATION, OR AT LEAST THINK WHO I WOULD LEAST LIKE TO TAKE A PUNCH IN THE FACE FROM.  I ALSO WONDER IF SOME GUYS ACT TOUGHER THAN THEY ACTUALLY ARE.  I HAVE A FEELING MY GUILTY PLEASURE FOR FIGHTING MOVIES INFLUENCES MY LOGIC.  

BELIEVE IT OR NOT, I AM ACTUALLY A NON-VIOLENT PERSON.  I JUST REALLY ENJOY WATCHING VILLAINS GETTING THEIR ATTITUDES ADJUSTED ON SCREEN.  I ALSO TEND TO ACKNOWLEDGE JUST HOW TENACIOUS THE LEAD ENEMY IS.   EVER SINCE I WAS LITTLE, I WOULD WATCH MOVIES SUCH AS KICKBOXER,  BLOODSPORT, SHOOTFIGHTER:  FIGHT TO THE DEATH, ONLY THE STRONG, AND BEST OF THE BEST.  THEN I WOULD GO ON MY FRONT LAWN AND MIX A BUNCH OF KICKS AND PUNCHES TOGETHER FOR ABOUT THIRTY SECONDS WHEN MY LITTLE, FIVE-YEAR OLD BODY WOULD TIRE OUT.  NOW LOOKING BACK, I HOPE MY NEIGHBORS DIDN'T THINK I HAD DOWN SYNDROME.  

I HAVE TO ADMIT, KICKBOXER WAS ALWAYS MY FAVORITE, BUT NOT BECAUSE I ADMIRED JEAN-CLAUDE VAN DAMME SO MUCH.  IT WAS MORE LIKE HIS NEMESIS IN THIS PARTICULAR FILM SCARED THE SHIT OUT OF ME.  TONG PO'S CHARACTER IS PLAYED BY MICHEL QISSI, AND STILL TO THIS DAY, I'M NOT QUITE SURE IF HE IS JUST THAT INTIMIDATING LOOKING, OR JUST UGLY AS SIN.  EITHER WAY, I THINK HE COULD BEAT UP ALL THE OTHER BAD GUYS AT THE SAME TIME...PROBABLY WITH ONLY ONE ARM AND HIS BRAID OF COURSE.  

BLOODSPORT WAS ANOTHER ONE OF VAN DAMME'S FILMS AND IS ALSO A CLASSIC.  BOLO YEUNG PLAYS CHONG LEE WHO IRONICALLY IS A BRUTAL FIGHTER IN THIS MOVIE, YET IN SHOOTFIGHTER:  FIGHT TO THE DEATH, HE IS A CHILDREN'S KARATE INSTRUCTOR.  TALK ABOUT AWKWARD.  HE IS ALSO A SCARY MAN, REGARDLESS OF THE CHARACTER HE IS PLAYING.  BECAUSE OF THIS ONE, I AM FOREVER SCARRED WITH THE SIGHT OF A COMPOUND FRACTURE.  IT'S ALMOST AS DISTURBING AS WATCHING VAN DAMME BEING FORCED INTO A SPLIT.  I GOT THE HEEBIE JEEBIES JUST FROM TYPING "SPLIT".  

ONLY THE STRONG IS A TAD DIFFERENT IN THE SENSE THAT IT TAKES PLACE IN A SCHOOL.  INSTEAD OF THE MAIN CHARACTER PARTICIPATING IN FIGHTING TOURNAMENTS IN ORDER TO DELIVER THEIR REVENGE, THIS FLICK'S MAIN CHARACTER USES HIS ABILITIES TO CLEAN UP A VIOLENT HIGH SCHOOL WHILE PROTECTING THE INNOCENT.  IT IS SIMILAR TO THE SUBSTITUTE WITH TOM BERENGER.  

BEST OF THE BEST IS PRETTY PROMINENT IN THIS GENRE BECAUSE IT JUST LOOKS LIKE THEY HAD A BIGGER BUDGET TO WORK WITH COMPARED TO THE OTHER FILMS.  EVEN THOUGH THEY ALL WERE MADE IN THE LATE EIGHTIES AND EARLY NINETIES, I THINK BEST OF THE BEST 1&2 HAVE A MORE MODERNIZED FEEL TO THEM.  THEY ALSO HAVE SOME DECENT MOVIE STARS INCLUDING ERIC ROBERTS, PHILLIP RHEE, AND EVEN CHRIS PENN AND WAYNE NEWTON IN THE SECOND SEQUEL.  

YOU MAY THINK JEAN-CLAUDE VAN DAMME IS A PUSSY, BUT ERIC ROBERTS IS THE MAN!  I MET ERIC ROBERTS AT A MONSTER MANIA CONVENTION YEARS AGO, AND HE LEANED ON ME TO HOLD HIMSELF UP FOR THE PICTURE.  I THINK HE POPPED A BUNCH OF PILLS BECAUSE HE WAS NERVOUS TO MEET ME...

RIP

I TEND TO ADMIRE UNIQUE, SUPPORTING CHARACTERS IN TELEVISION SHOWS AND MOVIES.  I ALSO HAVE AN ODD WAY OF KNOWING WHICH ONES ARE GOING TO EVENTUALLY DIE ON SCREEN BECAUSE THEY'RE OFTEN MY FAVORITE CHARACTER.  COINCIDENCE?  UNFORTUNATELY FOR ME I CAN'T RESIST GROWING EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENTS WITH CERTAIN ON SCREEN HEROES AND VILLAINS, AND WHEN THEY DIE IT FUCKS UP MY DAY TO SAY THE LEAST.  

QUITE RECENTLY, GAME OF THRONES' KING JOFFREY FILLED SOMEONE'S EARS TO THE BRIM WITH HIS WHINEY, TEENAGE WAILING BECAUSE HE FINALLY SAID HIS LAST WORDS...OR LACK THERE OF.  EVERYBODY KNEW HE HAD IT COMING, BUT IT'S STILL UPSETTING TO SEE HIM GO.  EVEN THE NASTIEST CHARACTERS CAN BRING SUBSTANCE AND PASSION TO A PLOT, AND HE WAS AS BRUTAL AS THEY COME.  REST IN PEACE, JOFFREY.  YOUR IRRATIONAL, YET SUSPENSEFUL AND UNPREDICTABLE VIOLENCE WILL BE MISSED.  

ONE OF HIS ASSHOLE MOVES WAS TURNING A GIFT FROM HIS UNCLE INTO A CRIME SCENE.  WHO WOULD EVEN THINK TO TURN PRETTY PROSTITUTES INTO TARGET PRACTICE?  ONE OF MY FAVORITES WAS LOST THAT NIGHT ON JOFFREY'S BEHALF.  ROS WAS THE WITTY HEAD OF LITTLE FINGER'S WORKING LADIES.  THE SHOW REALLY CONTRIBUTED SOME TIME INTO BUILDING HER PERSONALITY UP A BIT FOR HIM TO JUST DISCARD HER THE WAY HE DID.  HER DEATH DELIVERED A DARK CLOUD TO MY DAY JUST AS DROGO'S DEATH DID.  

I MUST ADMIT, THE MOST INTENSE LOSS OF A CHARACTER I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED WAS WHEN ADIBISI WAS SHANKED ON HBO'S OZ.  THAT WAS A ROUGH DAY FOR ME.  OZ IMPRISONED AN IMMENSE AMOUNT OF CHARACTERS, THEREFORE HAVING THE FREEDOM AND ABILITY TO KILL OFF MAIN CHARACTERS AS WELL AS CHARACTERS WHO WERE JUST INTRODUCED EARLIER IN THE EPISODE.  THERE WAS A LOT OF DEATH AND BLED SHED ON THE SHOW, AND IT WAS OFTEN SPONTANEOUSLY BUT ALSO STRATEGICALLY PLACED THROUGHOUT THE SIX SEASONS.  ADIBISI WAS THE MOST PSYCHOTIC AND BAD ASS CHARACTER ON THE SHOW AND IT WAS NOT OKAY HOW HE WENT OUT!  MY APOLOGIES TO ANYONE I WAS RUDE TO DURING THE WEEK I WATCHED THAT EPISODE IN SEASON FOUR.  

JUST A WHILE BACK THERE WAS MADISON ON AMERICAN HORROR STORY COVEN.  THANK GOODNESS THE WITCHES FIGURED OUT HOW TO BRING THAT BITCH BACK TO LIFE WITH A SPELL BECAUSE SHE WAS RELEVANTLY CRUCIAL TO THE SHOW.  HER DEATH WAS JUST ABOUT AS HEART WRENCHING AS IT WAS TO WATCH LITTLE ADELAIDE GET SQUASHED BY A CAR IN THE FIRST SEASON.  

AS SOON AS I PRESSED PLAY ON MY REMOTE CONTROL AND STARTED THE VERY FIRST EPISODE OF SPARTICUS, I FELL IN LOVE WITH HIM AND HIS WIFE, SURA.  AND THEN A COUPLE MINUTES LATER SURA GOT KIDNAPPED AND I ASSUMED HER DEAD.  THE THOUGHT OF HER AL IVE WAS BROUGHT BACK TO LIFE ONLY TO ACTUALLY WATCH HER DIE ON SCREEN.  WHAT THE FUCK...WHY DID SHE HAVE TO BE SO BEAUTIFUL...

WITH THE FINAL SEASON OF TRUE BLOOD COMING UP, I'M AFRAID TO REVEAL MY FAVORITE CHARACTERS.  EVEN THOUGH THE SERIES FINALE IS KIND OF SIMILAR TO ALL THE CHARACTERS DYING, I WOULD STILL PREFER TO SEE MY FAVORITES EAT RATHER THAN BE EATEN!  

SOMETIMES THEY COME BACK

SOMETIMES THEY COME BACK, AND I'M NOT REFERRING TO THE 1991 STEPHEN KING FILM.  I'M TALKING ABOUT THAT CHARACTER IN YOUR FAVORITE SHOW WHOSE SCREEN TIME SLOWLY STARTS TO DISINTEGRATE.  THE WRITERS DIDN'T EXACTLY PROVIDE YOU WITH THE CLOSURE OF NEVER SEEING THAT CHARACTER AGAIN, YET YOU CAN'T HELP BUT TO WONDER IF THE ACTOR HAD TO LEAVE DUE TO ILLNESS, PREGNANCY, OR SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY FOUND A BETTER SHOW TO CONTRIBUTE THEIR TALENTS TO.  AND THEN ONE DAY, THAT CHARACTER COMES BACK OUT OF THE BLUE.  

MOST RECENTLY MY HEART WAS TICKLED BY THE FOURTH SEASON FINALE OF SHAMELESS.  THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE SEASON I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR FIONA'S SOULMATE, THE GUY NAMED STEVE WHO WAS BORN JIMMY AND NOW GOES BY JACK, TO SLIDE HIMSELF BACK INTO THE SHAMELESS GALLAGHER SHACK.  THE MOMENT I LOST HOPE WHILE THE ENDING CREDITS BEGAN TO SURFACE, STEVE DID IT AGAIN.  HE SHOWED UP REASSURING THE VIEWERS THAT TRUE LOVE DOES EXIST IN STRANGE SITUATIONS.  HIS SNEAKY APPEARANCE THAT WAS FORESHADOWED IN NUMEROUS EPISODES REMINDED THE AUDIENCE THAT WHEN YOU FIND THE ONE PERSON WHO YOUR SOUL CONNECTS WITH, YOU'LL NEVER STOP THINKING ABOUT THEM.  

ALTHOUGH FICTIONAL LOVE STORIES TEND TO EASILY ANNOY ME, THERE ARE A FEW THAT ARE JUST WRITTEN AND BUILT UP SO WELL THAT I CAN'T HELP BUT TO FEEL THE ON-SCREEN CONNECTION.  ANYONE WHO HAS EVER BEEN IN LOVE BEFORE CAN CERTAINLY RELATE TO SEEING TWO PEOPLE LOOK AT EACH OTHER ON THAT INTENSE, EUPHORIC LEVEL.  SOMETIMES TWO PEOPLE JUST FIT TOGETHER LIKE PUZZLE PIECES.  

IF YOU'RE NOT A SHAMELESS FAN, THEN I'M SURE YOU'VE CONNECTED WITH A CHARACTER ON ANOTHER SHOW.  MAYBE THAT INFAMOUS MR. BIG STOLE YOUR HEART WHILE CHASING CARRIE BRADSHAW IN SEX AND THE CITY.  ALTHOUGH I'VE ALWAYS WISHED AIDAN WOULD BE THE ONE TO COME BACK AND STEAL HER HEART, MY EYES STILL SWELL WITH TEARS WHEN THINKING OF THAT SECOND TO LAST EPISODE  OF THE SERIES WHEN THE GIRLS TELL MR. BIG TO "GO GET OUR GIRL" RIGHT BEFORE HE RESCUES HER IN PARIS.  

I ALSO LABEL STEVE AS A COME BACK CHARACTER ON SEX AND THE CITY.  OUT OF ALL MIRANDA'S BOYFRIENDS, STEVE WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO FIT HER LIKE A PUZZLE PIECE.  I MEAN COME ON, IF YOU DID NOT SHED A TEAR WHEN THOSE TWO REUNITED ON THE BRIDGE, THEN CLEARLY YOU HAVE EMOTIONAL ISSUES! 

TRUE BLOOD HOLDS A BIT OF A DIFFERENT EXAMPLE OF WHAT I'M EXPLAINING HERE.  ALTHOUGH BILL'S SCREEN TIME HAS NOT SHRIVELED UP, IT'S STILL AWKWARD TO SEE SOOKIE WITH OTHER MEN.  I'M HONESTLY NOT EVEN A FAN OF BILL, BUT HIS CHARACTER LACKS SPARK AND SUBSTANCE WITHOUT HER BY HIS SIDE.  I WONDER IF BILL WILL "COME BACK" TO SOOKIE IN THIS UPCOMING AND FINAL SEASON...